CONSTRUCTION

The choice of Marcel Oudin , a renowned Parisian architect and specialist in reinforced concrete, is probably related to the fact that he had worked repeatedly for the Hennessy family, upgrading, among other things, their cellars in Cognac. Dinard was not unknown to Oudin ; his architectural firm had a location in Dinard, located 6 Avenue Edward VII and he also own a summer house in the resort. 

Jean Hennessy 1874-1944

Marcel Oudin, student at Art Déco's school, circa 1900, 2nd on the left

 

 















Marcel Oudin belongs to a generation of architects who design the architecture of a building, it’s outside as well as its inside. The Gallic Hotel is the epitome of this architectural concept. Marcel Oudin managed, for example, to capture permanently the light but using both internal partitioning through glass panels in the ground floor lobby and by the arrangement of facades in "step like manner” on the sea side facing north.

Plan by Alexis Daniel in 1948 for the subdivision in appartments. 
The rooms are still in their original design
(archives of the condominium "Le Gallic")

The demolition of the villa "Bois Fleury" was undertaken in April 1926 and the hotel opened on June 4th, 1927. This construction was a technical challenge and was the first building in the region to use a structure of concrete beams without any bearing wall. This explains its rapid construction.

The inauguration was followed by a posh dinner party of 200 people, hosted by Mayor Paul Crolard who was a great supporter of the project.

Ongoing festivities took place from June 4^th to June 11^th 1927 : galas, dinner parties, flower show, Miss pageant contests, all of it largely reported by local press.

 

Luggage tag

(private collection)

View in 1927 for the inauguration

(private collection)